Device for producing cigarette packages

ABSTRACT

For the production of cigarette groups ( 11 ) having a formation comprising a plurality of vertical rows of cigarettes ( 10 ) arranged one beside the other, after pushing a corresponding number of cigarettes ( 10 ) out of shafts ( 13 ) of a cigarette magazine ( 12 ), a transverse displacement of the cigarettes ( 10 ) is required in order to arrange same in a tightly packed or saddle configuration. At least marginal push rods ( 18 ) for pushing the cigarettes ( 10 ) out of the shafts ( 13 ) of the cigarette magazine ( 12 ) can be displaced transversely together with the cigarettes.

The invention relates to an apparatus for producing cigarette packs fora formed cigarette group which can be pushed out of a cigarette magazinecontaining vertical shafts for a respective row of stacked cigarettes,the cigarette group, subsequent to the magazine, being able to betransported via a conveying section or diverter for forming thecigarette group into a pocket of a cigarette conveyor.

In conventional cigarette packs, the cigarette group is formed in such away that horizontal rows of the cigarettes, to be precise two or threerows, are formed. The invention is concerned with more complexformations of cigarettes within a cigarette group and with theproduction of such formations.

The object on which the invention is based is to design an apparatus forproducing cigarette groups, in particular a cigarette magazine havingguiding and conveying elements, in such a way that, during the removalof the cigarette group from the cigarette magazine and up to the pointof transfer to an adjoining cigarette conveyor, the desired formation ofthe cigarettes is created automatically as a result of thetransportation.

To achieve this object, the apparatus according to the invention ischaracterized in that at least some of the cigarettes, preferablyarranged in vertical rows, and at least lateral push rods for pushingthe cigarettes out of the cigarette magazine can be moved transverselyin the region of the conveying section or diverter in order to producethe formation of the group with directly adjacent cigarettes.

The formation of the cigarette group is preferably such that a pluralityof vertical rows are arranged beside one another, the rows having adifferent number of cigarettes, specifically comprising in particulartwo or three stacked cigarettes. The rows comprising two cigarettes hereare to be positioned in a “saddle configuration”, that is to say “instagger”, with respect to the cigarettes of the adjacent rows made up ofthree cigarettes.

The elongate push rods which enter each shaft of the cigarette magazineto push out the cigarettes are designed in a particular way. Owing totheir size and relative position, the push rods cause either two orthree stacked cigarettes to be pushed out. The diverter is designed insuch a way that during the conveying movement a transverse displacementof the cigarettes occurs, thereby forming a closely packed (transverse)configuration, and in addition the cigarettes of the rows made up of twostacks of cigarettes are supported by lower and/or upper guidingelements, specifically guiding ribs. A completely formed cigarette groupis accordingly transferred to the cigarette conveyor or to a pocketthereof.

Further particular features of the invention are explained in moredetail below with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a (lower) part of a cigarette magazine in vertical section,

FIG. 2 shows the cigarette magazine according to FIG. 1 in thehorizontal region in a lower section plane,

FIG. 3 shows a representation analogous to FIG. 2 with the position ofthe elements changed,

FIG. 4 shows a further representation corresponding to FIG. 3 with theposition of the elements changed again,

FIG. 5 shows a cross section in the region of the cigarette magazinecorresponding to section plane V-V in FIG. 3,

FIG. 6 shows a cross section in the region of a section plane VI-VI ofFIG. 3,

FIG. 7 shows a cross section in the region of a cigarette conveyorcorresponding to section plane VII-VII of FIG. 4.

When packing cigarettes 10—or comparable elongate objects—the cigarettes10 fed in with parallel orientation, but without formation, areinitially combined into specially formed cigarette groups 11. Such acigarette group 11 then corresponds to the content of a cigarette pack.

To form the cigarette groups 11, the cigarettes 10 are introduced into acigarette magazine 12 whose lower region comprises a plurality ofvertical shafts 13 situated beside one another. These are delimited fromone another by likewise vertical, thin shaft walls 14. Each shaft 13contains a vertical row of cigarettes 10 arranged individually one abovethe other in a tightly packed configuration (FIG. 1, FIG. 5).

To form a cigarette group 11, a corresponding number of cigarettes 10are pushed out of the shafts 13 at the lower end, to be precise at leastone cigarette 10 from each shaft 13. In the present case, two or threecigarettes 10 at a time are pushed out of a shaft 13 to produce aspecially formed cigarette group 11. The number of the shafts 13belonging to a unit which are situated next to one another correspondsto the number of the rows of cigarettes 10 to be pushed out peroperating cycle. Push rods 15, 16, 17, 18 are used to push a cigarettegroup 11 out of the cigarette magazine 12. These are elongate arms witha substantially rectangular cross-sectional profile which are mounted onone side on a common carrier 19. All of the push rods 15 . . . 18 aremoved from an initial position on a rear side of the cigarette magazine12 (on the right in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2) through the shafts 13 in thelower region thereof by displacement until they reach an end position(FIG. 1, FIG. 4) in which the cigarette group 11 formed has reached atransportation position, specifically a pocket 20 of a cigaretteconveyor 21.

The push rods 15 . . . 18 have different cross-sectional dimensions,specifically a different width and/or height. Two central push rods 15are used to push out a respective row 22 made up of three stackedcigarettes. The push rods 15 have a transverse dimension which isslightly less than the internal space within a shaft 13. Adjacentthereto, two cigarettes 10, that is to say a row 23 made up of twostacked cigarettes 10, are to be pushed out by means of thecorrespondingly formed push rods 16. When being pushed out of thecigarette magazine 12, these cigarettes should be offset in terms ofheight with respect to the cigarettes 10 of the adjacent rows 22 (FIG.6). The push rods 16 are smaller in height than the push rods 15 and arealso positioned at a distance from a lower boundary or base plate 24.

Adjacent push rods 17 are comparable with the push rods 15 as regardstheir height. They are used to push out a row 22 containing threecigarettes 10. The push rods 17 have a narrower width and are arrangedoffset within the associated shafts 13, specifically being positioned inthe shaft 13 on a side facing the adjacent push rods 16 (FIG. 5). Thisresults in a gap being formed at the side facing the push rod 18.

The outer push rods 18 are used to push out rows 23 containing twocigarettes 10, are therefore correspondingly arranged and dimensioned,but with a narrower width, thus being of thin-walled design. The pushrods 18 are positioned (in the initial position) centrally with respectto the associated shaft 13.

The formation of the cigarette group 11 is completed during theconveying movement of a cigarette group 11 from the cigarette magazine12 to the cigarette conveyor 21. As can be seen in particular in FIG. 7,in the present exemplary embodiment the cigarette group 11 compriseseight vertical rows 22, 23, in each case made up of two or three stackedcigarettes 10. Rows 23 containing two cigarettes 10 are in each caseprovided on the outside. Two rows 22 containing cigarettes 10 situatedbeside one another at the same height are located in the center of thecigarette group 11. This formation of a cigarette group 11 isparticularly suitable for cigarette packs of the type comprising ahinged-lid box with round side walls.

The offset (saddle configuration) of the cigarettes 10 in the rows 23with respect to the rows 22 is predetermined in the region of thecigarette magazine 12. The respectively lower cigarettes 10 in selectedshafts 13 are provided at the bottom end with spacers which support thelower cigarettes 10 of the rows 23 at an appropriatedistance—approximately half a cigarette diameter—from the base plate 24.These spacers are ribs, to be precise bottom ribs 25, which extend alongthe base plate 24 approximately centrally within the shafts 13associated with the rows 23. The push rods 16, 18 entering these shafts13 are moved above the bottom ribs 25. The respectively lower cigarette10 of the rows 23 rests on the associated bottom rib 25. The bottom ribs25 acting as supporting element extend over the entire conveying sectionfor the cigarettes 10, that is to say as far as the cigarette conveyor21. The cigarettes 10 of the rows 22 rest—between the bottom ribs25—directly on the base plate 24.

The cigarette magazine 12 is situated at a distance from the cigaretteconveyor 21. Arranged in the region of this interspace is a shaped part26, also referred to as a diverter, which brings the cigarettes 10, orthe pushed-out cigarette group 11, into the end formation during thetransporting movement. The shaped part 26 is mounted on the common baseplate 24 and is designed essentially as a channel of closed crosssection with side walls 27 and a covering wall 28. The rows 22containing three cigarettes 10 arranged one above the other lie in anapproximately fitting manner between the base plate 24 and covering wall28. The cigarettes 10 of the rows 23 are also kept at a distance withrespect to the covering wall 28, to be precise by means of upper ribs,specifically top ribs 29. The ribs 25, 29 simultaneously form lateralguides for the cigarettes 10 of the rows 22. The cigarettes 10 of themarginal rows 23 are provided, at least on the upper side, with aspecial guide, specifically with a guiding lug 30 which partiallysurrounds the upper contour of the upper cigarettes 10 in a form-fittingmanner. This prevents cigarettes 10 of the adjacent rows 22, 23interfering with one another during the transportation.

A particular feature involves the cigarettes 10, which are pushed out ata distance from one another owing to the configuration of the shafts 13or because of the shaft walls 14, being pushed until they are in atightly packed configuration against one another by transverse movementin the region of the shaped part 26 (FIG. 6, FIG. 7). This is achievedby the shaped part 26 having a funnel-shaped cross section which tapersin the direction of movement of the cigarettes 10, specifically by theside walls 27 with converging inner faces 31. The transversedisplacement of the cigarettes 10 is accompanied by a correspondingtransverse displacement of at least the marginal push rods 18. These areloaded in the transverse direction during the advancing movement, withthe result that they follow the contour of the shaped part 26 and aremoved inwardly, specifically being elastically deformed inwardly (FIG.4) in order to allow problem-free deformation of these marginal pushrods 18. Marginal shaft walls 14 are designed with a smaller dimensionin the push-out direction of the cigarettes 10 (FIG. 2).

The guiding or supporting ribs, specifically the bottom ribs 24 and thetop ribs 29, follow the transverse displacement of the marginalcigarettes 10, the ribs 25, 29 having a contour of varying width formingan upper or lower supporting surface for the cigarettes 10, with theresult that the ribs 25, 29 provide optimum support during thetransportation in the region of the shaped part 26 and with regard tothe transverse movement.

The transverse movement or transverse deformation of the marginal pushrods 18 during the pushing-out movement is brought about by means ofpositionally fixed guide elements against which the push rods 18 bearduring the pushing-out movement. These are supporting rollers 32 whichare each mounted laterally beside the path of movement of the push rodswith a vertical axis of rotation. The supporting rollers 32 bear againstthe outside of the push rods 18. The relative position of the supportingrollers 32 on the one hand and the shape and position of the push rods18 on the other hand is chosen so that during the pushing-out movement adeformation of the push rods 18 and a transverse movement toward oneanother take place within the outer shafts 13. The push rods 18 may becompletely (elastically) deformable. In the present exemplaryembodiment, thin-walled end regions 33 of the push rods 18 are anchoredin the block-shaped carrier 19 such that an elastic deformation of theseend regions 33 can take place at the point where they emerge from thecarrier 19, with the result that the push rods 18 are brought into anoblique position (FIG. 4). The end regions 33 are fixed in a slightlyconverging relative position in slots of the carrier 19. In addition, oras an alternative, front ends of the push rods 18 may be guidedinwardly, with corresponding transverse displacement of the cigarettes10 in question, by the converging inner faces 31 of the shaped part 26.

The cigarettes 10 in adjacent shafts 13, specifically cigarettes 10associated with the push rods 16 and 17, are also displaced transverselyby the shaped part 26 to form the tightly packed configuration. In orderto facilitate the movement relative to the push rods 16, 17, the endfaces 34, 35 thereof are beveled in the direction of displacement of thecigarettes 10 (FIG. 2 to FIG. 4).

The pocket 20 of the cigarette conveyor 21 is also matched to theparticular formation of the cigarette group 11. At its upper and lower,or radially outer and inner, pocket walls, each pocket 20 hasprojections 36, 37 which enter cutouts or gaps formed by rows 23containing a smaller number of cigarettes 10 (FIG. 7). The projections36, 37 extend in a continuation of the bottom ribs 25 or top ribs 29,but based on the arrangement of the cigarettes 10 in the tightly packedconfiguration within the cigarette group 11.

LIST OF REFERENCES

-   10 cigarette-   11 cigarette group-   12 cigarette magazine-   13 shaft-   14 shaft wall-   15 push rod-   16 push rod-   17 push rod-   18 push rod-   19 carrier-   20 pocket-   21 cigarette conveyor-   22 row-   23 row-   24 base plate-   25 bottom rib-   26 shaped part-   27 side wall-   28 covering wall-   29 top rib-   30 guiding lug-   31 inner face-   32 supporting roller-   33 end region-   34 end face-   35 end face-   36 projection-   37 projection

1. An apparatus for producing cigarette packs for a formed cigarettegroup (11) which can be pushed out of a cigarette magazine (12)containing vertical shafts (13) for a respective row of stackedcigarettes (10), the cigarette group (11), subsequent to the shafts(13), being able to be transported along a conveying section containinga shaped part (26) for forming the cigarette group (11) and to be pushedinto a pocket (20) of a cigarette conveyor (21), characterized in thatat least some of the cigarettes (10), preferably arranged in verticalrows (22, 23) in the cigarette group (11), and at least lateral pushrods (18) can be moved transversely in the region of the shaped part(26) in order to produce the formation of the cigarette group (11) withdirectly adjacent cigarettes (10).
 2. The apparatus as claimed in claim1, characterized in that the arm-like push rods (15, 16, 17, 18) foreach shaft (13) of the cigarette magazine (12) are designed with adifferent effective height for seizing different numbers of cigarettes(10) per shaft (13), in particular for seizing either two or threestacked cigarettes (10), push rods (16, 18) with a relatively smalloverall height for seizing, in particular, two cigarettes (10) beingarranged at a distance from a lower push-out plane of the cigarettemagazine (12), in particular at a distance from a base plate (24), insuch a way that the pushed-out cigarettes (10) of the shaft (13) inquestion are offset in terms of height with respect to cigarettes (10)of adjacent shafts (13) during the pushing-out operation.
 3. Theapparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, in order todetermine different relative positions of cigarettes (10) in adjacentshafts (13), at least individual shafts (13) have at their bottom endsupporting elements which support the respectively lower cigarette (10)in a shaft (13) while fixing a relative position with respect tocigarettes (10) of adjacent shafts (13), the elevations or supportingelements being designed as ribs, specifically bottom ribs (25).
 4. Theapparatus as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the ribs,specifically bottom ribs (25), extend in the region of the shaped part(26) subsequent to the cigarette magazine (12), preferably as anuninterrupted continuation of the bottom ribs (25) in the region of theshafts (13).
 5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, characterized inthat the shaped part (26) is designed as a channel of closed crosssection, ribs being arranged in the region of the base plate (24) and acovering wall (28), specifically bottom ribs (24) and top ribs (29), ineach case in the region of vertical rows (23) of cigarettes (10) with asmaller number of cigarettes (10).
 6. The apparatus as claimed in claim1, characterized in that, in order to form a cigarette group (11), thecigarettes (10) can be displaced in the transverse direction afterexiting the cigarette magazine (12) in order to position the cigarettes(10) in a tightly packed configuration, at least marginal push rods (18)being able to move transversely, preferably with elastic deformation,with the associated cigarettes (10) in the region of the shaped part(26).
 7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that theribs—bottom ribs (25), top ribs (29)—in the region of the shaped part(26) follow the—transversely directed—displacement of the associatedcigarettes (10) or rows (22, 23), in particular as a result of theconverging course of the ribs.
 8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6,characterized in that the at least marginal push rods (18) bear againsta supporting or guiding element, in particular against a supportingroller (32) outside the region of the cigarette magazine (12), it beingpossible, owing to the relative position of the supporting roller (32)on the one hand and the shape and position of the push rods (18) on theother hand, for said push rods to be moved transversely in the region ofthe shaped part (26) by elastic deformation as a result of bearingagainst the supporting roller (32).
 9. The apparatus as claimed in claim1, characterized in that cigarettes (10) of marginal rows (22, 23) canbe moved transversely relative to the associated push rods (16, 17), andend faces (34, 35) of the push rods (16, 17) are directed obliquelycorresponding to the transverse movement of the cigarettes (10).
 10. Theapparatus as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that pockets (20) of acigarette conveyor (21) adjoining the cigarette magazine (12) or theshaped part (26) have rib-like projections (36, 37) in a continuation orextension of the bottom ribs (25) and top ribs (29).